Attachment for dental bridgework



Oct. 30, 1928.

' 1,689,478 H. E. S. CHAYES ATTACHMENT FOR DENTAL BRIDGEWORK Filed Dec. 1'7, 1924 l NTOR Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN E. S. CHAYES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 CHAYES DENTAL INSTRU- KENT CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE;

ATTACHMENT FOR DENTAL BRIDG-EWORK.

Application filed December 17, 1924. Serial No. 756,410.

This invention relates in general to improvements in removable dental bridge work, and in particular to the construction of a separable connection between the bridge and its piers.

In my Patent No. 1,366,058 January 18, 1921, there is described a dental bridgework structure which includes the use of socket members set in the gap-facing sides of the pier teeth andadapted to removably hold T-headed anchor members projecting from the opposite endsof the dental bridge member. In the present invention, which is in the nature of an improvement upon the construction described in the patent, the same general construction is followed, the improvement consisting principally in the particular construction of a T-headed anchor members by means of which the snugness of fitof the T-heads in the sockets can be varied or creased at will either to restrict or to facilitate the movement of the bridge member relative to the piers during the process of mastication, to facilitate or restrict the ease of removal of the bridge from, or placement in, position between the piers, or to take up wear in the connecting parts.

In one form of the invention the lateral margins of the head are bent inwardly, toward the outer surface to provide inward facing grooves in which a replaceable br dging plate can be held, means being provided for bending an intermediate portion of the plate toward or from the body of the head and adjacent end of the stem.

Other objects and features of the invention will be referred to in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a View of a form of T-head member;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a part of the head member shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a socket member for use with the illustrated form of head member;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the head member; V

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4-, illustrating a modification; and

Figure 6 is an end view of the subjectmatter of Figure 5, showing the attachment in place in a socket, the socket wall being partly broken away.

In Figures 1 and 2 I have shown a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, which includesseveral novel features of construction.

The anchor comprises a T-shaped member the stem of which is adapted to be permanently embedded in a body of inlay metal mounted in an artificial tooth forming part of a dental bridge. The transverse relatively flat head is adapted to seat in a socket member 11 illustrated in Fig. 3, which, has a slot 15 of a depth somewhat less than that of the socket member and corresponding to the depthof the stem 3, which, as can be seen in Fig. 6, does not extend wholly to the lower. edge of the head. By this construction the lower portions of the headi and slot provide an effective lock against movement of the bridge away from the pier tooth.

In order to provide for varying the snugness of the fit of the T head in the socket mem ber 11, the transversehead of the T member is furnished with means for resiliently presslng against the walls of the socket. This is accomplished by forming the vertical edges of the head with overhanging flanges form in confronting grooves 16. In these grooves are received the lateral margins of a spring plate 21. This plate normally tends tobuckle outwardly away from the head, and may be held in desired position by means of a screw 22 engaging a tapped hole 23 in the adjacent end of stem 3. The plate 21 presses against the socket wall when in position, with more or less frlctlonal resistance against withdrawal from the socket, in accordance with requirements and adjustment. After a time the plate may lose its resilience, or capacity for adjustment, whereupon it may be replaced This structure has the advantage that the part of the head which is active in maintaining the head in the socket, and which may need frequent adjustment, is not an integral part of the head, and hence if broken or wornout it may be replaced without affecting the rest of the attachment. The point will be clear if we consider the Figure 2 form of device. I. There the adjustment is by causing relative movement between the arms of the U-wing. Repetition of'such movement will cause crystallization of the metal, with breaking oil of all or part of a wing. When this happens the whole attachment has to be replaced, which means dismounting the bridge, taking ofi the artificial teeth, drilling out the stem, fitting a new attachment in proper relation to the adjacent socket member, soldering, &c. WVith the Figure 1 form of device, there is no destructive reaction, resulting from adjustment, upon any part of the stem or head, eXceptonly the replaceable plate 21. And when plate 21 needs to be replaced, this can be done very easily and quickly.

In Figures 5 and 6 the confronting grooves 16 are shown running transversely of the at tachment head, so that when the socket and head are in their normal vertical position (Figure 1) the said grooves are horizontal. On account of this arrangement, no screw or other retaining means is necessary in order to keep the spring plate 21 in place. Adjustment is easily made by regulating and coordinating two factors, the length of the spring plate and the extent to which it is bulged out (Figure 5) in order to make resilient contact with the socket wall. "With the attachment out of the socket it is easy to put in place or take out the spring plate. And when it is in the socket, of course, the plate cannot accidentally get out. This form of attachment has many of the advantages of that shown in Figure 1, and it requires no independent fatening means.

The modification of F igs. 1 and 2 is disclosed in my application Serial No. 486,102, filed July 20, 1921.

' Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall interpreted as illusrative and not in a limlting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which,'as

a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. In a head and slot connection for dental bridgework, a solid stem having wings eX- tending laterally from the end thereof in opposite directions and terminating in end portions bent towards each other and overlying the main wing portions but spaced from the same, and a spring plate having its edges held between the wings an dthe benttermini thereof and detachably connected to the stem.

2. A removable bridge comprising in combination. a pier tooth. with a denture receiving socket, a bridge disposed adjacent the pier tooth, a shank integrally oinedto the bridge and reaching to the socket, ahead made on the shank and fitting into the socket, said head provided with confronting grooves, a separate spring plate having its edges confined in the grooves and its intermediate portion bulging outwardly beyond the plane of the grooved head and pressing against the socket wall.

3. The device set forth in claim 2, in which the confronting grooves are disposed transversely with respect to the head.

f. A removable bridge comprising in combination, a pier tooth provided with a denture receiving socket, a bridge disposed adj acent the pier tooth, a shank integrally joined to the bridge and reaching to the socket, a head made on the shank and fitting into the socket, said head provided with a groove, a separate spring plate flexibly mounted in the groove and pressing against the socket wall, and means for retaining the plate in the groove.

5. A T-head attachment for the purpose set forth, having a separate wear plate removably carried on the outer face of the head.

6. A T-head attachment for the purpose set forth, having a separate wear plate removably carried on the outer face of the head and means for retaining the plate in position on the head. j

7. removable bridge comprising in. combination a pier tooth with a denture-receiving socket, a bridge disposed adjacent the pier tooth, a shank joined to the bridge and reaching to the socket, a head disposed on the end and transversely of the shank and fitting into the socket, and a separate wear plate removably carried on the outer face of the head and having surface engagement with the socket wall.

' 8. A removable bridge comprising in combination a pier tooth with a denture-receiving socket, a bridge disposed adjacent the pier tooth, a shank joined to the bridge and reach ing to the socket, a head disposed on the end and transversely of the shank and fitting into the socket, a separate wear plate removably carried on the outer face of the head and pressing against the socket wall, and means for retaining the plate in position on the head.

9. A removable bridge comprising in combination a pier tooth with a denture-receiving socket, a bridge disposed adjacent the pier tooth, a shank oined to the bridge and reach ing to the socket, a head disposed on the end and transversely of the shank and fittinginto the socket, the outer side of the head being provided with confronting grooves, and a separate wear plate having opposite edges confined in the grooves and having surface engagement with the socket wall.

10. A removable bridge comprising in combination a pier tooth with a denture-receiving socket, a bridge disposed adjacent the pier tooth, a shank oined to thebridge and reaching to the socket, a head disposed on the end and transversely of the shank and fitting into the socket, the outer side of the head being provided with confronting grooves, a separate wear plate having opposite edges confined in the grooves and having surface engagement with the socket Wall, and means for retaining the plate in position on the head.

11. A removable bridge comprising in com- 5 bination a pier tooth with a denture-receiving socket, a bridge disposed adjacent the pier tooth, a shank joined to the bridge and reach ing to the socket, a head made on the shank and fitting into the socket, said head provided 1 with confronting grooves, a separate spring plate having opposite edges confined in the grooves and having a portion projecting out- Wardlybeyond the plane of the grooved head and making surface contact With the socket Wall.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HERMAN E. S. CHAYES. 

